Women's Rights
by J. Dragonsoul
Summary: Missonfic. PreS8. SG1 arrives on a planet that appears to be populated only by men and boys and within minutes of their arrival, O'Neill disappears. Where are the women and, more importantly, where is O'Neill?
1. opening

**:: WOMEN'S RIGHTS ::**

**:: opening ::**

The wormhole closed behind SG-1 as the team stood in front of the stargate, taking in their new surroundings. The stargate was located in a clearing and the surrounding forest vegetation appeared to be similar to that which was found in the temperate rainforests of Earth. The skies above were clear and although it was barely becoming lit with the first rays of morning, the forest was already wide-awake with the noises of the local wildlife.

"What a racket," the team's leader, Colonel Jack O'Neill, remarked. "It must be impossible for the locals to get any sleep."

"Not necessarily, sir. If you grew up with this noise all your life, you'd learn to block it out after a while. It's no different than growing up by an airport or right next to a busy street," Major Samantha Carter said.

"But it still is really noisy," O'Neill said and Carter had a small smile on her face as she agreed with him.

"The MALP didn't show any air pollutants, right?" Doctor Daniel Jackson, the team's archeologist, asked.

"That is correct, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c replied as he scanned the area surrounding the stargate for any potential threats.

"So no advanced civilization, but someone said something about suspecting there were natives?"

"Well, Daniel, there's a path right there," O'Neill said, pointing toward a well-trodden path that lead into the forest, "and generally, paths mean people."

"Footprints also usually indicate the presence of humans," Teal'c added, pointing with his staff weapon towards the ground in front of the dial-home device where footprints were apparent.

"Good observation, T," O'Neill said. "Now how about we go find the locals?" In agreement, the team walked through the clearing and onto the path as they entered the forest; O'Neill in the lead with Daniel behind him, then Carter and Teal'c bringing up the rear.

A voice from behind them made them all jump however and turn in surprise. "Who are you?" They turned around to find a little boy, no older than eight, standing behind the DHD, staring at them. His blond hair was cropped short and his eyes were a light shade of blue, opened wide in what appeared to be surprise.

Daniel was the first to speak. "We're travelers. I'm Daniel Jackson and-"

"You're men." The boy's tone was accusatory.

Daniel was taken aback by this. "Well, three of us are."

"Men can't use the Water. Only the Mothers know how."

Daniel thought for a moment, choosing his words carefully before answering. "We don't know the Mothers and we come from a different place, where many different people know how to use the… Water."

The boy looked at them, his brow furrow in obvious confusion. Daniel took this opportunity to ask a question of his own. "What's your name?"

"I am Natan, born of Corine to Marak." He did not pause to answer and the words sounded strangely automatic, as if he was asked this question all the time.

"Do you live near here?" Carter asked.

He nodded, pointing towards them and the path. "A short walk that way. Do you wish to accompany me home? The Fathers will want to meet you."

Carter turned to speak to O'Neill, who had been strangely silent this whole time, "Sir, what do you-" She stopped mid-sentence however when she saw that she was speaking to thin air.

O'Neill was gone.


	2. lost but not found

**Disclaimer:** I dunno why we do these things but oh well… I dun own anything Stargate-related; i.e. SG-1, the SGC, the Goa'uld, etc., etc., must I go on? I reap no profits from this story, but any donations are always welcome. XD

Mission fic, so no relationship stuff. Straight up adventure. Pre-Season 8, so O'Neill's still on the team. The episode referred to in this chapter is 'Emancipation' from Season 1.  
This will hopefully be my only author's note in this fic but if you want to hear that kinda stuff and see what I've got planned, etc., check out my **livejournal** (the link's in my profile). w00t. That's kept up-to-date with everything you need to know.  
Feel free to tell me whenever you think someone from the team is OOC. This is my first Stargate fic so my grasp of their characters is still a tad shaky. And feel free to point out anything else that's wrong; with either my writing or my facts. You can even flame me if you feel like it. I don't mind. Flames just help to build my character. ;p  
And without further ado, my likkle fanfic… enjoy…

* * *

**:: lost but not found ::**

"Natan, do you know where Colonel O'Neill is?" Carter asked the young boy as she turned to face him.

"You need to talk to the Fathers," he stated as though that answered her question, "Come with me." With a bow to the group, he turned and walked into the forest on the path that O'Neill had pointed out mere minutes before.

"We don't want to talk to talk to the Fathers until we know where Colonel O'Neill is," Carter said, her voice frustrated. She turned to Daniel and Teal'c. "Let's fan out and see if we can find the Colonel-"

"You're not going to," Natan said, having stopped a short distance away when he realized they were not following him.

"Then you know what happened to him?" Daniel asked with a gentle tone born from previous experience with questioning children.

The boy didn't answer and began walking down the path again.

"Sam, I think we should follow him. I think he knows what's going on," Daniel said and with a sharp nod, Carter agreed and the remainder of SG-1 hurried to catch up with the boy.

As they walked, Carter turned to glance at Daniel. "Did you see him go?"

Daniel shook his head. "No, he was just there one second and gone the next."

"Is it not possible that Colonel O'Neill was transported to another place with technology such as the Goa'uld transport rings?" Teal'c asked.

"Yeah, or else he could have just wandered off," Daniel offered.

Carter gave him a look. "Daniel, you're the one who does that. Not the Colonel."

"True," Daniel agreed.

"Okay, I want everyone to keep an eye out and stick close together," Carter ordered. "I don't want to lose anyone else."

"You won't," Natan said, glancing back at them, his eyes shining innocently.

"Well, it would help us to understand if you told us why no one else is going to disappear."

"Don't you already know?" Natan seemed almost confused.

"If we already knew what hadhappened to Colonel O'Neill, what would be the point of our asking you?" Teal'c asked. The boy nodded in acknowledgment of Teal'c's logic and looked forward again as he continued walking.

"Natan, will you tell us what happened to O'Neill?" Daniel asked.

"If you do not know, then it is not my place to tell you. That is for the Fathers."

"I don't think we're going to get him to tell us anything," Daniel said to Carter. "We're going to have to wait until we meet these 'Fathers'."

The boy stopped on the top of a hill and gestured for the members of SG-1 to join him. As they reached the crest, he gestured expansively in front of him and said in a happy tone, "Home."

Sprawled out before them was a city of wooden houses, all one-story and dully colored with little variety between each. However, springing out of the center of the city was a giant pyramid, which towered hundreds of feet over the little houses. "That must be over five-hundred feet tall," Daniel said, his voice amazed. "And its condition is amazing. When was the pyramid built?" The question was directed towards their unofficial guide.

Natan thought for a moment, before shrugging. "It has been here forever. It was Mother's gift to us before She left."

"Mother?" Daniel repeated, his tone inquiring.

Natan shook his head. "Again; the Fathers will explain." He began descending the hill and SG-1 followed him, having really no other choice if they wanted to locate O'Neill. The inhabitants of the city watched them with curious eyes as they walked by and a few called to Natan, asking him the identity of his new friends, but the boy did not answer their calls and SG-1, taking the cue from their guide, also chose to remain silent and not answer any of the peoples' questions.

Their walk ended at a small house where Natan opened the door and entered inside, gesturing for SG-1 to follow him. "Marak?" he called out, "I have strangers with me who must speak with the Fathers."

A tall man with long dark hair tied back at the nape of his neck and blue eyes looked up from where he sat at a table and stared at them in obvious surprise. "By their clothes alone, I can see that they are strangers. Where did they come from?"

"The Water," Natan answered.

"But they are men." Marak seemed as confused as Natan had been when this same information had become known to him.

"This is why they must meet with the Fathers," Natan said. "This and one of their companions has been taken and they do not know for what purpose."

Marak stood from his chair, his expression reflecting shock. "He has been taken? And you do not know why?"

"Um, no," Daniel answered, his brow furrowed. "Can you explain it to us? We want to find our friend."

Marak shook his head. "It is a hard thing to understand. Here, we know of it from birth to death and need no explaining. The Fathers would do a better job than I." He bowed. "I will go and request an audience with them immediately. Natan will attend to any needs you have in my absence." Patting his son on the shoulder in encouragement, he walked hurriedly out of the house.

"Do you need refreshments?" Natan asked, turning to face Carter, Daniel and Teal'c.

"I'm thirsty, actually," Daniel said, taking a seat in Marak's vacated chair.

"Yeah, me too," Carter added, joining Daniel at the table.

Natan turned to Teal'c. "You as well?" Teal'c shook his head and Natan bowed to the group before exiting the room, presumably to fetch something to drink.

"Daniel Jackson;" Teal'c turned to look at the archeologist, "did you observe that all of the inhabitants of this city appear to be male?"

Daniel nodded. "Yeah, I didn't see one woman. I also didn't see any really young boys; no babies or toddlers."

"This better not be anything like that one planet we went to in the first year the SGC was operating and I had to dress up in that horrible blue dress and that Abu kid traded me off for his girlfriend," Carter grumbled.

"C'mon, Sam. You looked good in that dress," Daniel said, grinning.

"From what we have observed, I believe it would be best if these people continued to believe that Major Carter is male," Teal'c stated.

Daniel thought for a moment, his grin fading from the serious implications of their situation. "Sam, I think he's right. If these people have some strong taboos against women as the people of Abu's planet did, then revealing that you're a woman might get you into trouble."

"Not that it's a bad idea, Daniel, but won't they be able to tell?" Carter asked.

"As long as you wear bulky clothes, I don't think they'll notice," Daniel said with a shrug. "They already think you're a man anyway. Maybe they're used to seeing pretty boys."

At this moment, Natan entered into the room, bearing a platter of fruits and cups in one hand and a pitcher of some drink in the other. He placed the platter on the table and poured the drink into the cups. Setting the pitcher down, he walked to the side of the table opposite of Daniel and Carter and sat down.

Daniel picked up one of the cups and sniffed the liquid inside hesitantly. "Smells like apple juice," he remarked to Carter and took a sip. He nodded approvingly and drank some more of it. Carter picked up one of the other cups and took a sip of the drink. Daniel studied his cup closely for a moment, turning it around in his hands, before he set it down and looked up to meet Natan's gaze. "Why are all the buildings in your city made of wood except for the pyramid?" he asked the boy.

"Stone is the bone of Mother. It is holy. Only Her buildings are allowed to be made of it," Natan answered.

"Mother Earth, you mean?" Daniel asked and Natan nodded and said, "After Mother destroyed the wicked city before, She erected that temple to remind us of the evil we must fight within ourselves."

A knock sounded on the door of the house and Natan stood and walked over to open it. Outside stood a boy, about Natan's own age, who was dressed in a tan uniform of some kind. He bowed deeply and said, "The Fathers request you and your guests' immediate presence at the Temple."

"That was fast," Daniel commented as he and Carter stood.

The messenger boy smiled at the archeologist. "As soon as the Fathers heard you came through the Water, they sent me here, assuring me that if I did not run all the way, they would make sure that I would regret it for a very long time, and that if I did not return with you, I would not live to see the sun set."

"Well, I think that settles it," Daniel said, adjusting his glasses.

Carter nodded in agreement and said to the messenger, "Lead the way."

**…**

They entered the temple at its base through a large hallway that led to a small antechamber. The messenger bowed and left them after saying that he had to go tell the Fathers of their arrival. Natan turned to them. "Please, remove your footwear and headwear before you enter the presence of the Fathers. They will be here when you return, this I promise." He took off his own sandals and set them against a nearby wall, showing that he was also required to participate in this ritual.

Used to such requests, the team members complied and put their belongings together against the wall, although Carter showed some hesitation before taking off her hat, obviously still thinking of this culture's potential hostility towards women. Daniel caught her eyes and he smiled at her, his eyes warm and supporting.

A few moments later, a short, barrel-chested man entered the room from the doors that the messenger had disappeared through. He inspected them with a dark, calculating eyes that smoldered in a face pockmarked and scarred from battles. "Do you have any weapons?" He barked out the question with authority, glaring at them with eyes that clearly said that if they lied to him, they would definitely regret the act.

"Yes," Carter answered.

"You must leave them here also." His hand settled threateningly on the hilt of a sword hanging from a belt on his waist.

"We'd rather not," Carter said, trying her best to flash a disarming smile at him.

"You must." On cue, a group of five men bearing weapons appeared in the antechamber from the hallway that SG-1 had used. The man with the sword smiled back at Carter with teeth that made her think of a shark. He was not trying to be pleasant at all as he tightened his grip on the sword at his side and once again demanded that they put their weapons with their other belongings. The tension in the air was almost palpable and Carter, Daniel and Teal'c prepared themselves for the seeming inevitable fight that was about to ensue.

Suddenly, the doors burst open and an elderly man charged into the room, his long robes fluttering widely around him as he cried out in a flustered voice, "Garrex!" His voice boomed in the small room and the man with the sword, presumably Garrex, turned to look at him in surprise. "Why are you threatening our guests?"

"Patriarch." Garrex bowed to the elderly man. "They refuse to leave their weapons here. I did not think it wise that they enter your presence armed."

"Did you explain this reasoning to them?" the man addressed as 'Patriarch' asked, his tone admonishing.

"No, Patriarch," Garrex replied, glowering at the floor, sullenly embarrassed at being caught in the wrong.

"Then it was right for them to resist your demands. But, never mind that." The Patriarch turned to face Carter, Daniel and Teal'c, a welcoming smile set on his face. He gestured towards the door. "Please, come with me."

Garrex looked up quickly, protesting, "But their weapons!"

"Oh, fine. If you're that worried, come along and bring your men too," the Patriarch said with a sigh. He walked up to the large doors and opened them, gesturing SG-1 inside. "Come! We must celebrate your arrival."

"We'd really appreciate it if you first told us what happened to our friend. We're worried about him," Daniel said as they followed the man into a large room, gaily decorated with bright cloth draped from the ceiling and immense frescos painted on the wall depicting various scenes of what appeared to be a comprehensive outline of their civilization's history.

"We must eat first," the Patriarch said with a smile, "for one must nourish the body before the mind for fear of becoming so caught up in the expansion of one's knowledge that one forgets to eat." However, the man was speaking to what might as well have been a wall for, naturally, as soon as he noticed the frescos, Daniel somehow had migrated away from the group to stand in front of the walls of the room, mumbling to himself as he began to decipher and translate the hieroglyphics inscribed nearby the pictures.

"Daniel?" Carter called out from where she stood by a table covered in food for the celebratory feast. "Daniel?" Directing a smile that was more of a grimace to the Patriarch, she walked over to where the archeologist was standing and grabbed his arm, beginning to bodily drag him towards the table as she said in a tone that was half-threatening, half-encouraging, "Daniel, come on. You heard the man; food first, research later."

"Right, right," he said in a dazed tone, his mind already having vacated the premises and taken up residence in its other plane of existence reserved solely for these kinds of moments. Carter resisted the urge to roll her eyes as she brought him back to the table where the Patriarch began introducing them to the other Fathers who were presumably the leaders of the city. She knew from experience that Daniel would now be conversationally worthless for a while except in topics relating to the frescos and hieroglyphics. But she didn't mind that as long as those topics included where O'Neill was and how they could get him back.


	3. one mother of a headache

**:: one mother of a headache ::**

The sun filtering through the curtained window of the room fell across the face of one Colonel in the United States Air Force, its warmth and bright light waking him from his unconscious state. With a groan, O'Neill shielded his eyes from the sun with his hands while his head throbbed unmercifully in protest against some trauma that had occurred. "I've got the mother of all headaches…" he announced to no one in particular, rolling onto his stomach to hide his eyes in the safe darkness of the pillow. As his face was smushed in the pillow, he used his free hands to gingerly touch a growing knot on the back of his head. The physical evidence of someone having hit his head hard from behind brought his faint memories rushing to the front of his mind and he quickly rolled back over and sat up, suddenly aware of his alien surroundings.

The bed O'Neill was in was large, plush and incredibly comfortable, although the sheets were covered with bright and garish yellows, oranges and reds. Looking around the room, O'Neill saw that the whole room was colored brightly and he winced as the vivid scene assaulted his eyes and made his headache worsen slightly. The walls were covered in Egyptian-style artwork and he briefly wondered which Goa'uld had brought the inhabitants to the planet he was currently on. However, he didn't dwell long on the thought for that was Daniel's area of expertise.

Reminded of the rest of his team, he shifted in the bed to get out and go look for them. It was at this moment that he realized he was naked. Although not a man easily rattled, he still clutched at the sheets on the bed and wrapped them around his waist as he stood, unwilling to run around an alien place as naked as the day he was born. Keeping one eye out for any other occupants of the room that might be present, he made a quick round and discovered that none of his clothes or his gun or anything else he had were to be found. He did, however, discover fresh, clean clothes draped over the back of a chair. Presumably, they had been set there by whoever had captured him in lieu of his own uniform.

After looking them over and realizing that nothing better was going to present itself, he put them on reluctantly, at least thankfully that they weren't too outlandish. The shirt was a pleasant green a few shades lighter than emerald and the pants were black, a color that deeply contrasted with the radiant colors that seemed to be the norm of wherever he was. There was also a bright red sash but he left that alone, opting for the darker colors that would not draw as much attention.

With the issue of clothing taken care of, O'Neill turned his mind to the problem of where he was and, more importantly, how to get out. He walked over to large door and slowly and as quietly as possible so as to not alert anyone that might be waiting on the other side for him to wake, turned the handle and pushed on it in an attempt to open it. As he had expected, the door did not budge.

Checking that possibility off his mental list, he turned to the window. Walking over to the stained glass image of a woman carrying a shield with two crossed arrows, he searched for a handle and, finding one, he tried to open the window. To his surprise, it did. He stuck his head out to see how high up he was and immediately pulled it back in. The reason for this was that the room he was in was at least six stories up and falling out of a window on accident wasn't on his "Top Ten Ways to Die" list. Making sure he had a firm grip on something inside of the room, he leaned his head out again to get a better look. It appeared that there was a small ledge underneath the window and O'Neill found himself hoping that he wouldn't have to reenact the scene from the first Matrix movie to escape.

He ducked his head back inside the room and took a seat on the bed to think over his options, the few that he had. He could either climb out the window and try to either scale down the building or find another window, and room, to hide in, or he could break down the door and escape that way. Of course, that would be sure to attract a lot of attention. And then there was the option of just staying where he was and waiting for his captor to come and gloat and take him off to torture him or whatever the villain felt like at the time. _That_ would definitely be fun.

The colonel sighed, unhappy with his situation. "If only Carter were here," he found himself thinking aloud after a minute. "She always comes up with a better 'or'." He paused, reconsidering his words. _But, then again, waking up in bed with a naked Carter or, god forbid, Daniel and Teal'c too, would have been definitely awkward,_ O'Neill thought to himself with a grimace at the imagined scene his mind played out.

As if in response to his voice, he heard someone moving on the other side of the door. He stood up and looked around for something to use as a weapon. Grabbing a foot-tall statue of a half-naked woman that was standing on a table nearby, he quietly crept to stand behind the door when it opened, ready to defend himself from whatever hostile entity happened to walk in.

**…**

Carter mentally thanked God as Patriarch Birant stood up and announced the end of the feast. The strange but yet edible parade of bizarre creatures and plants cooked and roasted and baked and prepared in other ways she couldn't even name had been non-ceasing for over two hours and she felt that if she smelt one more alien food, she would throw up. She and Teal'c had been discreetly eating very little, if any, of the foods presented, however, Daniel had been having the time of his life, trying a little bit of everything and remarking to her and Teal'c on how this dish tasted like smoked salmon or that one tasted like lamb chops with gravy or hey! That one over there even tasted like clam chowder… but with avocado. She couldn't help but smile as she recalled how the colonel had told her of when he and Daniel had first visited Abydos and Daniel had tried to communicate with Kasuf and Skaara how the food he was eating tasted like chicken. Luckily for the people of this planet, Carter had cut in and explained for him when Daniel was asked was asked what a lamb was.

Patriarch Birant clapped his hand and a host of male servants (or they might have been slaves, Carter couldn't tell) quickly cleared away the dishes. With a clear voice, he addressed the other men seated at the table, SG-1, and the other men present in the room. "It is time for us to be reminded of who are and who gave us life," he said, sitting down again. "Bring in the children."

In response, the doors through which Daniel, Carter and Teal'c had entered were opened and a procession of about forty young boys walked into the room. They lined up in front of the long table, which was situated on a platform, and bowed to those seated at the table. All of the people at the table were seated on one side with their backs to the wall so they were better able to view the children's performance.

One boy moved to stand away from the others and said with another little bow, "Honored Fathers, we are here to present to you the story of creation and of Mother Earth and Father Sky." Behind him, two tall boys stepped forward. One was wearing a green robe and the other wore a blue robe and a mask of what appeared to be a ram. "Reminds me of a school play," Daniel leaned over and whispered to her and she nodded in agreement.

The little boy, who appeared to be the narrator, spoke again. "In the beginning, there was only Mother and Father and Father's children, the stars." At this, about five of the boys wearing yellow robes broke away from the group and moved to form a circle around the boy who represented Father Sky.

"Mother watched Father with his children and was jealous and so she created the sun to burn him and hide his children from view." The boy playing Mother grabbed another tall boy wearing an orange robe and pushed him towards the boy playing Father, breaking up the circle of stars.

"In response, Father created the rainwater to heal his burns and the sky serpent to protect his children, who became the serpent's skin. At night you can see the serpent's white eyes and the days the sun does not shine, Father's serpent has swallowed it and it must wait until the next day to be reborn." A line of six boys encircled the sun figure, ensnaring them in the coils of the serpent costume they wore, which much resembled the New Year's dragon costume worn by the Chinese people of Earth. The boys who were supposed to be stars moved to stand around the serpent costume and its two large eyes were luminous replications of what appeared to be moons.

"Thwarted by Father, Mother looked upon herself and found she was bursting with new life, created by the rain. She begged Father to give her children of her own, as the gods they had born together had chosen to remain with him in the sky. Father felt pity for her and looked to his pottery wheel and the first man and woman sprang forth from the clay there." From underneath the large blue robes of Father, emerged two young boys, one wearing a long-haired wig which designated him as a 'woman', and they went to stand by the boy playing Mother.

"Father looked on Man and saw that Mother was happy with her new children. He promised Mother that he would leave her alone and so he returned to the sky through his Sacred Waters to tend to his own children." The boy playing Father exited the room through the doors, closely followed by the "serpent", "stars" and "sun".

"After many years, Man became powerful and with his civilization, forgot his Mother. She grew angry with Man and came to the Matriarch in a dream, demanding they return to their proper worship of her. When the Matriarch didn't listen, Mother created the temple and from its maw, fire rained down on Man and his city, destroying all he had created." While he had been speaking, the two boys had moved to stand by the last of the group but when he had spoken of the fire raining down, some of them had fallen to the floor, as though dead.

"Mother came once more to the Matriarch and told her to gather the women of Man. Then, she took them to Father's Sacred Water and taught them how to use it for she is the Opener of Ways and knows the paths to all places. On that day, Mother left Man to his own attendance and took Woman to a secret place where they might live together forever in harmony, only allowing Woman to return when she required the services of Man." The figure of Mother Earth gathered the original long-haired 'woman' and some of the other boys wearing wigs and led them out the door.

"From that day forth, Mother slept, only awakening every hundred harvests to bless her children and… um…" the little boy's voice trailed off and his eyes grew wide. Carter recognized the look of a panic-stricken actor who had forgotten his lines. One of the "men" came to his rescue and leaned down to whisper something in his ear. "Make sure we have taken care of her world!" The last words were let out in a rush as the whole group bowed and quickly exited the room. As the door closed behind them, Carter espied the tall boy reach over and box the ears of the little narrator, obviously irritated that the younger child had forgotten the last words.

"I apologize for the child's erroneous memory," the Patriarch said gravely, turning to look at SG-1. "He is still young and in need of a great deal of schooling."

"Thank you, Patriarch," Daniel said, making a little bow from where he was seated, "We enjoyed it, even with the child's small mistake." He turned to Carter, saying in a lower tone, "Well, at least we now know who took Jack and why."

"As well as why there appears to be no women present on this planet," Teal'c added.

"What?" Carter looked at him. "The women took him? Why?"

Daniel folded his hands in his lap and stared at them for a moment before clearing his throat uncomfortably. He looked up to meet Carter's gaze and said in a level tone, "Sam, think about it. What 'service' would women require men for that they couldn't do themselves?"

Carter's eyes grew wider than normal and captured on her face was the classic 'deer in the headlights' expression. "Oh…" she said, clearly lost for words. While she absorbed the information, Daniel turned to ask a question of one of the Fathers sitting next to him.

"I believe we should endeavor to rescue Colonel O'Neill as soon as is possible," Teal'c said after there had been a momentary silence.

Carter nodded, "Absolutely."

"I think we have a bigger problem than Jack's situation, Teal'c," Daniel said, turning back to look at his friends.

"And what is that, Daniel Jackson?"

"I just asked this guy when the next celebration of a hundredth harvest would be and apparently we arrived a week before it's going to happen."

Realization dawned on Carter. "So, in one week, we're going to have to deal with a Goa'uld?"

"Yeah, and I don't think she's going to be happy to see us," Daniel said.

"I believe that, if he were here, Colonel O'Neill would say that that is the 'understatement of the century', Daniel Jackson." Teal'c said, his expression and tone typically solemn.

"Yeah, Teal'c. He probably would," Daniel agreed.


	4. explanations are due

**:: explanations are due ::**

The door opened and Jack O'Neill was positioned behind it, ready to brain anyone that walked in with an obvious intent to do him harm. However, he was extremely surprised when instead of the Jaffa guards he was expecting, a young woman walked in. She had long black hair that flowed down her back with various braids interspersed in the mass along with colorful ribbons and she was wearing a long cream colored robe tied with a green sash at the waist. She couldn't have been more than seventeen years old and she was a full head shorter than he. With what appeared to be surprise written all over her young face, she looked around the room in search of O'Neill. When she finally saw him, standing behind the door with a statue raised threateningly in his hand, she gave him a quizzical look. "What are you doing there?" she asked.

"Uh…" he thought in vain for something to say as his hands fumbled to put the statue back on a nearby table. " Just admiring your art," he said lamely.

"You like art?" Her face brightened up and he quickly nodded, ready to take advantage of how easily she appeared to believe him.

"Yeah, I was admiring all of your paintings…" he said, trailing off as he gestured around the room vaguely. O'Neill's eyes looked back at the statue he had been holding moments before and he added, "and stuff."

She smiled. "If you would like, I can arrange a tour the city for you so you can see all of our greatest works of art."

"Sure," O'Neill said, in a voice that was strained to muster up enough enthusiasm to sound sincere. "That sounds great." Although art appreciation was usually Daniel's area of interest, O'Neill had learned over the years never to pass up an opportunity to scout out unknown enemy territory. "Speaking of cities, where exactly am I?" and after a moment's pause, he added, "And who are you?"

She stared at him with a strange look, one that he had the feeling he would be soon getting used to. After a moment, she said in a serious tone, "The Matriarch warned me that you did not know of our ways but I did not imagine that you would know nothing at all."

"Hey! I know a lot of stuff," O'Neill said defensively. "I just don't know anything about where I am, or how I got here, or where my team is… or who you are…" O'Neill decided to stop there before he dug himself a grave.

"Then you need some explanations. Please, come and sit." She let him over to a nearby table and they sat down, facing one another. "Let's start you off with something simple." Her pleasant smile took away any sting from her words that might have been present. "My name is Teryl. What is yours?"

"Colonel Jack O'Neill, U.S. Air Force," O'Neill answered.

"That is a very long name," she observed solemnly in a way that reminded him of Teal'c.

O'Neill chuckled. "Just call me Jack," he said.

"Why do you have such a long name if you only are called by a short portion of it?" she asked.

"I thought I was the one getting things explained here."

She flushed from embarrassment. "That is true." She rearranged her robes for a moment, which gave O'Neill the opportunity to observe that the green sash at her waist was the same shade of green as the shirt he was wearing. He tucked that little piece of information away for the moment, reminding himself to ask about it in a bit.

She began to explain. "You are here in the City to participate in the Hunt."

At the word "hunt", O'Neill flinched. He had never been one for hunting. He was the fishing type of guy. Hunting held no appeal for him. "What hunt?" he asked.

"The Hunt of the Red Bear."

"What's a red bear?"

"It is a large ferocious animal that is hunted every summer season by our people. The men compete to see who can kill one first."

"I don't like the sound of 'ferocious'. Do I have to hunt?"

"You were chosen for the Hunt. You will hunt."

"Who's going to make me?"

Teryl blanched at his words. "You cannot defy the Matriarch's will."

"I didn't agree to do this hunt, so why should I?"

"If you do not hunt… it has never happened before but I am sure that you will be in a great deal of trouble, as will I." She gave him a mournful look and he felt himself give in. _Damn_, O'Neill thought. He hated it when women played that card. He couldn't bring himself to get her in trouble now. She was so young and she kind of reminded him of Cassandra. That and he always had had a soft spot for kids.

Eager to change the subject and seeing in his face that he had decided not to go, Teryl stood up and picked up the bright red sash that was still draped over the chair. She turned to look at him, asking, "Why are you not wearing your sash?"

"Red doesn't look good on me," O'Neill said lightly. "Do I have to wear it? Something to do with this whole hunt thing?" At the look on her face, he sighed in defeat. _If you're gonna do this, Jack, you might as well not fight her about the little things,_ he chided himself. "Okay." He stood up and took it from her, tying it around his waist quickly. Now that the subject had been brought up, he pointed at her sash. "Why is yours the same color as my shirt?"

"It signifies that you are in my charge and I am serving you for as long as you stay with us," she explained.

"So if I get in trouble, you take the heat?" he asked in a joking tone and she smiled in response but he had the feeling there was something else. His years in the black-ops and of dealing with politics gave him a kind of sixth sense so he knew when people were concealing information from him, even if they had not directly hidden it from him. There was some underlying thing about her assignment to watch him and about the Hunt that she was skirting.

He was about to press her about it when another woman, this one wearing a white robe with a blue sash, walked into the room. Tucking her hands into her large sleeves, she bowed to Teryl and announced, "The feast shall be ready soon. You are advised to bring the man to the Great Hall as soon as you are able to."

Teryl mimicked the other woman's bow and nodded. "We shall be there momentarily." Satisfied, the other woman left. Teryl turned to face O'Neill and said quickly, "We must go. We cannot be late."

"Okay. Ladies first," O'Neill made a sweeping gesture towards the door and after giving him another one of the looks that said "you're strange", Teryl walked out into the hallway and he followed her as they made their way to a destination that O'Neill presumed to be the Great Hall.

"So where's my team?" he asked her as they walked along. He was able to keep up with her quick steps as his strides were much longer than hers.

"They're where you left them," she answered.

O'Neill decided to try again. "Where I am in relation to their location?"

She stopped walking and looked at him for a moment, trying to figure out what he had asked her and its answer. Finally, she said, "The searchers brought you back through the Water and now you are here, in our city."

"The Water?"

"Yes, the ring of water? You came through it, which did surprise the searchers a great deal." She smiled at this.

"Wait, I'm on a different planet?" O'Neill asked, surprised. He had thought he was merely in a nearby city or something. Not on a totally different planet. And the rest of his team members probably wouldn't know which Gate address to dial so he was completely on his own. He followed behind Teryl in stunned silence as his mind churned over, through, around and up the facts surrounding his current predicament.

Sensing that he had been disturbed by this information, Teryl spoke in an obvious attempt to comfort him. "After the Hunt is over, you will soon be returned to your friends," she assured him. "You will be here for a short period of time only."

O'Neill had heard that before when he had been a "guest" at other places and he knew that what they meant by a short period of time was actually closer to months of near-prisoner status. He began to rethink his earlier decision not to attempt an escape but once again rejected it. He had no idea what these people were like or anything about their culture or, most importantly, where the hell the stargate was.

Because without the stargate, he was stuck and stuck good.

**…**

"Any luck?" Carter asked Daniel as she strolled over to where he and Teal'c were standing. Daniel had been attempting to read the hieroglyphics that were written on the walls of the temple in a search for the gate address to where Colonel O'Neill had been taken and since Carter and Teal'c could not read the hieroglyphics, they were reduced to merely scanning the walls for any familiar symbols that represented a gate address.

Daniel shook his head, snapping shut a journal in frustration. "No, nothing. It's just a record of their history, which we already know. The only new information that I've learned is the names of the Goa'uld who brought them here." He looked back at the wall, his jaw set in obvious frustration.

Carter waited for a moment. "And?"

Daniel looked back at her, slightly startled as her voice jerked him back from the place he had drifted off to for a moment. "Oh, sorry. Neith and Khnum, or Khnemu as he was sometimes known, were the names of the Goa'uld. As you probably already guessed, we've never encountered them before. I don't remember ever hearing about Khnum, maybe Teal'c can fill us in on his recent activities, and we've never met up with Neith because she's been, well, hibernating, I suppose you could say, for the past hundred of our years, give or take a few, in what I can only guess is a modified sarcophagus." The sounds of the temple slowly died down around them as Daniel continued to talk but he was oblivious to the signs that communicated that something had indeed hit the fan. Carter and Teal'c, however, were not so absorbed in the archeologist's monologue that they had missed the danger signs and they shifted their grips on their weapons in preparation for any trouble.

"Um, guys? Are you listening?" Daniel asked them, his words falling heavily in the now silent room.

"I believe you have said something to offend these people, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c stated as he gazed around the room at the shocked faces assembled there.

"I did?" Daniel's eyes followed the Jaffa's and he realized that Teal'c was correct. The natives of the planet appeared to be quite upset. "What'd I say wrong?" Daniel asked, although in a much quieter, anxious tone.

"That is a question that would be better answered by them," Teal'c replied, inclining his head at the men who had begun to confer among themselves in hushed whispers.

The Patriarch stepped forward, his eyes troubled. "You can read what is written on the walls?" The question was directed at Daniel.

Daniel's brow was furrowed in confusion and anxiety but he nodded. "Yes."

A rush of whispers burst forth from the crowd behind the Patriarch and the members of SG-1 noticed that the Fathers had expressions of discomfort and even anger etched into their faces. The Patriarch held up a hand to quiet the men behind him and then once again spoke to Daniel. "You have read the names of Mother Earth and Father Sky?"

Daniel nodded again in affirmation and then asked, "Have I done something wrong?"

"Those names are sacred, only to be spoken by the ruling Fathers," the Patriarch explained. "For you to speak them and not be of our people… it is unheard of. An issue unprecedented." His eyes drifted downwards to gaze at the floor as he became lost in thought.

"I'm sorry," Daniel apologized, adjusting his glasses on his face nervously, "I didn't know."

The Patriarch's eyes lifted up and he met the archeologist's gaze evenly. "And I am sorry also." He lifted up his hand again and inclined it forward in a gesture that brought the man with the sword from before, Garrex, and his men to stand behind him. "These men will accompany you to a place where you will stay until Mother awakens and passes judgment on you. Please go with them."

"I'd rather not."

"I'm afraid you have no choice in the matter."

"Daniel Jackson will do no such thing," Teal'c said as his body tensed threateningly. He stated the words as though they were solid fact with a look that dared the Patriarch to disagree with him.

The Patriarch nervously smoothed out unseen wrinkles in his long robes. "I do not wish for this to dissolve into a battle between us. We have superior numbers, although they are not present at the moment, and you will lose and many of my people will die. Please comply with my request."

Daniel looked pained but he put his hand on Teal'c's arm. "I think I'm going to have to go with them, Teal'c," he said. "I don't see any other way we can resolve this at the moment."

"Don't worry, Daniel," Carter said in a low tone so only he and Teal'c could hear her. "We'll talk to them and if they won't let you go, we'll call up Hammond, get some backup and come back and spring you." She gave him a smile, albeit fake, in an endeavor to evoke one from him. He responded with a weak, half-hearted attempt and then took off his handgun and handed it to her, knowing that he couldn't allow the people of the planet to get a hold of it, even if it meant he go unarmed. She fought to stay calm, knowing that what he was doing was necessary at the moment, but knowing that didn't help the feeling that she had that made her just want to turn and shoot the Patriarch where he was standing. Or, better yet, Garrex, who had a smug grin on his face that made him look, for a moment, like Rodney McKay.

Alone, Daniel turned and walked away from his teammates and the small squad of men moved to encircle him, like a snake around its helpless prey as it slowly begins to constrict the life from it.

* * *

I'm assuming Teal'c can't read hieroglyphics here. As always, correct me if I'm wrong.  
And a spiffy little fact for you here that relates to this story (though not in a big way): Ancient Egyptians considered the color red to be/represent evil. 


End file.
